Feature Image Above:
Front row (L-R): Amy Barber, Central National Bank, Topeka; Dena Flach, Stockgrowers State Bank, Maple Hill; Victoria Pruitt, First National Bank of Hutchinson, Hutchinson; Crystal Boyer, First Interstate Bank, Shawnee; Carl Keith, Solutions North Bank, Hill City.
Middle row (L-R): Jen Cocking, Capitol Federal Savings Bank, Topeka; Dustin Hickel, INTRUST Bank, N.A., Prairie Village; Kelsey Burdiek, United Bank & Trust, Seneca; Garet King, Fusion Bank, Overland Park; Katrina Loader, Astra Bank, Abilene; Kristie Henry, Community National Bank, Seneca; Sarah Keeny Moon, Citizens Bank of Kansas, Derby; Elizabeth Roche, Kansas Bankers Association, Topeka.
Back row (L-R): Adeel Syed, Kansas Bankers Association, Topeka; Brett Hubka, GNBank, N.A., Clay Center; Rex Reynolds, Legacy Bank, Wichita; Alex Goodpaster, Equity Bank, Overland Park; Matt Koupal, FHLBank Topeka, Topeka; Justin Sparks, Bankers’ Bank of Kansas, Wichita; James Leftwich, Security 1st Title, LLC, Wichita; Mike Hamilton, Adams Bank & Trust, Colby.
The 2023 BLOK class members met in Kansas City on May 24-26 to continue their training, which kicked off at UMB Bank’s Headquarters. UMB President of Institutional Banking Phil Mason welcomed the class and stressed the importance of leadership development, how it complements technical expertise and the strong need for both. Ted Garnett of Performance Resources Consulting, LLC led the class in a half-day session titled “Leadership Accountability.” During his presentation, Mr. Garnett took the class through several hands-on exercises that helped the group learn effective leadership strategies and that you need to be accountable to your team and yourself.
Day two started with a full slate of speakers at the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, starting with a brief history of the Federal Reserve presented by Executive Writer and Historian Tim Todd. Mr. Todd talked about the bank’s origins, what the banking system looked like before its founding, and how it has transformed over the years. Jason Brown, Vice President and Economist, led the class through an Economic Outlook focused on Kansas and the 10th Federal Reserve District, and the morning concluded with Patrick Balint, Assistant Vice President, Kansas City E&I Community Banking Organizations, giving the group a detailed review of Kansas banking conditions and trends. Kelly Dubbert, Interim President, First Vice President and COO, warmly welcomed the class to the bank and discussed the search for a new bank president. Following lunch and a group photo, the class enjoyed a tour of the Fed.
The class reconvened to listen to Tara Humston, Senior Vice President – Supervision and Risk Management Division, who welcomed the group with an in-depth presentation on the hot topics affecting the banking industry and the Federal Reserve Banking System. Ms. Humston addressed the status of the new FedNow program, the bank’s discount window, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulatory concerns. Joel Leftwich, Chief Strategy Officer for Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB), described EngagedKansas.org, a nonpartisan resource designed to encourage and support Kansans to consider public service at all levels. Mr. Leftwich talked about the partnership with the KBA and other trade groups on this initiative, why it is essential to get more people engaged in running for office, and the long-term negative impacts of not having qualified industry representatives serving in public office.
A distinguished Urban Banker Panel made up of Joe Close, President of Country Club Bank in Kansas City; Travis Hicks, CEO of TriCentury Bank in DeSoto; and Mark Larrabee, CEO of Arvest Bank in Shawnee Mission, closed out day two of the session. They gave the class a look into their market space, how they hire and retain the best talent, and pivotal moments in their career that got them to where they are today. The group also talked about how they are competitors yet resources for each other in the highly competitive marketplace of Kansas City.
The class’s first speaker of the final day was FDIC Regional Director James LaPierre, who welcomed the class to the FDIC’s Kansas City office and discussed the FDIC’s regulatory priorities. Mr. LaPierre took questions from the class on the current banking conditions, including recent bank failures, and proposed changes to the FDIC assessments. The class also heard from Nathan Hinton and Shawn Schreier from the FDIC’s Division of Insurance and Research. These gentlemen presented current trends in the Kansas and Midwest economies, including consumer confidence levels and decreased housing development. They also talked about the current strength of the ag economy, including the impact of increased input costs, high land values, and current commodity prices. The last speaker of the day was retired Army Colonel and current Kansas House Majority Leader Chris Croft, who gave a presentation on “Leading With Confidence.” Col. Croft reflected on the lessons he learned as the Director of the Center for Army Leadership at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, serving in public office, and the importance of each class member developing their own leadership philosophy and living it every day.
For Session III, the class will head to Wichita in July to continue training before going to Washington, D.C., with KBA’s Federal Affairs Committee in September.
